Governor Hochul Announces Broadband Projects Totaling More Than $636 Million to Achieve Universal Internet Access Across New York State

Draft Proposal is Available for Public Comment Until September 24 at 3:59 PM

Addresses Nearly 100% of the Documented Unserved and Underserved Locations Across New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul announced approximately $391 million in proposed awards under the ConnectALL Deployment Program to 11 internet service providers who have committed a total of more than $245 million in matching funds to address nearly 54,000 locations in the state. If approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) following a public comment process, these federal awards will achieve universal broadband connectivity by reaching every documented unserved and underserved location across New York State. Members of the public can submit comments on the planned awards through the ConnectALL Deployment Program website until 3:59 PM on September 24. ConnectALL will host a webinar on September 18 to provide an overview of the draft Final Proposal and show members of the public how they can submit comments. Register here to attend.

“In this day and age, internet access is no longer just a luxury — it is a necessity to connect individuals to everyday essentials from education to healthcare,” Governor Hochul said. “Every community in New York State deserves to have access to the internet and it is time we uplift our underserved communities, providing them with more opportunities and resources.”

The proposed projects span every region of the state, from Long Island to Western New York, targeting the final one percent of locations that remain without broadband service or an enforceable commitment for service under another grant program. The awarded projects will deliver fiber optic infrastructure to approximately 31 percent of the eligible locations and fixed wireless service to approximately 44 percent. The grant awards will reserve satellite capacity for the remaining 25 percent of locations, with grant payments made based on subscription milestones.

ConnectALL has provided additional detail, including a breakdown of awards by county, on its website. ConnectALL identified grantees through an open, competitive application using the scoring criteria and selection process prescribed by NTIA. These federal awards are subject to NTIA approval, with awards to serve locations on federally recognized tribal lands also subject to approval by those governments. The awards and award terms are subject to change as ConnectALL proceeds through the awards process.

The funding for these awards comes from $664.6 million that Congress allocated to the State of New York in 2023 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD). The Law states that the remaining funds in the allocation can be used for broadband adoption, installing internet, or for providing reduced-cost broadband within multi-family residential buildings, among other purposes, pending future guidance from NTIA.

The 11 awards total $391.1 million with a total match amount of $245 million. The specific awards are:

• $78,640,161 to Archtop Fiber, LLC with a $28,211,318 match to serve 2,511 locations in five counties (Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, and Sullivan) with fiber optic technology.
• $121,187,012 to CBN Geneva, LLC with a $40,301,358 match to serve 3,951 locations in seven counties (Chenango, Delaware, Madison, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, and Yates) and Shinnecock Reservation with fiber optic technology, as well as 18,101 locations in 29 counties (Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Saratoga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, and Yates) and Onondaga Reservation with fixed wireless technology.
• $13,273,290 to Citizens Telecommunications of New York, Inc. with a $6,303,834 match to serve 1,014 locations in Chenango County with fiber optic technology.
• $11,498,589 to Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC with a $5,033,776 match to serve 390 locations in Putnam County with fiber optic technology.
• $5,454,547 to Consolidated Communications Enterprise Services, Inc. with a $3,594,633 match to serve 1,083 locations in three counties (Chautauqua, Columbia, and Rensselaer) with fiber optic technology.
• $25,489,512 to IBT Group USA, LLC with a $4,272,763 match to serve 1,159 locations in two counties (Franklin and St. Lawrence) and the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation with fiber optic technology and 10,660 locations in nine counties (Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie) and the Oneida Indian Reservation using fixed wireless technology.
• $360,000 to Planet Fiber NY, LLC with a $120,000 match to serve 16 locations in Orange County with fiber optic technology.
• $23,232,915 to Reasnor Telephone Company, LLC with a $7,744,305 match to serve 904 locations in Dutchess County with fiber optic technology.
• $20,422,500 to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. with a $18,704,831 match to serve 13,615 locations in 37 counties (Albany, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tompkins, Warren, Washington, Westchester, and Wyoming) and three Tribal Reservations (Allegany Reservation, Oneida Indian Reservation, and St. Regis Mohawk Reservation) with low Earth orbit satellite technology.
• $27,038,640 to Spectrum Northeast, LLC with a $4,123,250 match to serve 2,919 locations in Chautauqua County and Tuscarora Nation with fiber optic technology.
• $64,500,823 to Verizon New York, Inc. with a $126,581,092 match to serve 4,017 locations in 13 counties (Albany, Clinton, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Sullivan, Ulster, and Washington) and the Tonawanda Reservation with fiber optic technology.

Expanding New York's Digital Infrastructure

Governor Hochul has made expanding broadband access a cornerstone of her administration's efforts to create a more equitable New York. Through the ConnectALL initiative, New York State is investing more than $1 billion to transform the state's digital infrastructure, enhance competition among providers, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. To date, ConnectALL has overseen the successful launch and implementation of several programs to advance broadband access, including:

• The Municipal Infrastructure Program has awarded more than $242 million to support construction of open access municipal broadband networks across the state. The program, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects fund, facilitates a variety of models of municipal broadband and public-private partnerships to provide New Yorkers with affordable, high-quality service options. The Beta ConnectALL Projects Dashboard provides details on projects funded by the Municipal Infrastructure Program.
• The Digital Equity Program will invest $50 million to implement the New York State Digital Equity Plan to close the digital divide. The Plan outlines New York’s statewide strategy to increase its capacity to improve digital literacy and digital job readiness skills, facilitate access to affordable internet and devices, enhance digital privacy and safety, and make government services more accessible through the internet.
• The Affordable Housing Connectivity Program will bring new broadband infrastructure to homes in affordable and public housing leveraging a $100 million federal investment from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Capital Projects Fund. The Beta ConnectALL Projects Dashboard provides details on projects funded by the Affordable Housing Connectivity Program.
• The ConnectALL Deployment Program will provide funding for internet service providers to reach unserved and underserved locations, drawing on an allocation of $644.6 million in federal funding as described in the ConnectALL Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal. The Requests for Applications for the Deployment Program ended in July, and ConnectALL is currently accepting public comment on its Final Proposal for these funds.
• The Connectivity Innovation Program advances innovation and new broadband solutions, business models, and technologies in order to increase private sector investment and entrepreneurship; drive equity and innovation in the broadband marketplace; and reinforce a thriving research, development, and manufacturing ecosystem to support connectivity innovation in New York. ConnectALL is reviewing applications to the Connectivity Innovation — Mobile Service RFA, which closed in June 2025.
• The Excelsior Broadband Network is a new statewide public broadband network. The first component of this project will be a new fiber line running the full length of the New York Thruway which will connect public broadband assets across the state and improve access to consistent high-speed internet and reliable cell phone service for communities across the state.

• The Mobile Service Connectivity initiative will work with local stakeholders, state agencies, and industry to develop regional plans to expand cellular coverage across the state. The program will identify top opportunities to expand coverage and provide funding to deploy innovative, scalable solutions that can address gaps in wireless cellular coverage.